Lionel “Kappy” Kaplan (as related by the late Eddy Kaplansky)
Following the cruel accident at Sde Dov Airport, where Kappy lost his one eye, he was sent to the USA for surgery. He returned to Israel landing at Haifa Airport on September 9th. He continued to fly building up a reputation as a one-eyed pilot.
An early arrival, his logs included flights in March and April, 1948. Awarded a citation, flying one of the I.A.F.’s first helicopters in a dramatic rescue of two harbour policemen on February 5th, 1953. Their patrol launch had broken up in heavy seas on the rocks near Rosh-Hanikra.